Few quick questions from Matthew

[luvthelight]

Hello, I have just finished reading the gospel of Matthew and I just had a few quick questions which I hoped someone would be able to help me with.

1. In Mt. 18 :15-17 Jesus tells the story of a brother who sins - and ends it with if this brother refuses to listen to anyone, then one should treat this brother as “a Gentile or taxcollecter”. This almost sounds as though we are not supposed to associate with unbelievers - can someone help me better understand this verse?
2. In chapter 21 Matthew is telling about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, and has Jesus coming in with an *** and a colt. According to the notes my bible has about this verse, the citation Matthew makes is taken from two different sources, and that the two animals are actually one in the prophesy. Since Matthew has this different interpretation, he has to have Jesus come in with two animals, unlike in Mark (which has one). This makes it sound, though, that Matthew is attempting to tailor the life of Jesus to fit different prophacies.

thank you very much for your help!

 

[HailMary]

Hello, I have just finished reading the gospel of Matthew and I just had a few quick questions which I hoped someone would be able to help me with.

1. In Mt. 18 :15-17 Jesus tells the story of a brother who sins - and ends it with if this brother refuses to listen to anyone, then one should treat this brother as “a Gentile or taxcollecter”. This almost sounds as though we are not supposed to associate with unbelievers - can someone help me better understand this verse?

A Gentile or tax collector was looked at as an outsider. This is the basis for the Catholic Church and Excommunications. Those are not “unbelievers”; they were people who publically deny the Faith and (it was assumed) at one point they were part of the Church.

I’ll have to look into the other one.

 

[HailMary]

You might like the Navarre bible for good, sound commentaries.

 

[Lazerlike42]

Hello, I have just finished reading the gospel of Matthew and I just had a few quick questions which I hoped someone would be able to help me with.

1. In Mt. 18 :15-17 Jesus tells the story of a brother who sins - and ends it with if this brother refuses to listen to anyone, then one should treat this brother as “a Gentile or taxcollecter”. This almost sounds as though we are not supposed to associate with unbelievers - can someone help me better understand this verse?

This is one of my favorite verses, because people always miss something I think is very special. How does Jesus want us to treat Gentiles and tax collectors? He wants us to love them . He didn’t want people to have to go out of our way to see them, but He wanted people to love and respect them. What He is saying here, I believe, is that if all this fails, you don’t have to stay chummy with the person all the time, but you ought to be respectful and love the person.

1. In chapter 21 Matthew is telling about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, and has Jesus coming in with an *** and a colt. According to the notes my bible has about this verse, the citation Matthew makes is taken from two different sources, and that the two animals are actually one in the prophesy. Since Matthew has this different interpretation, he has to have Jesus come in with two animals, unlike in Mark (which has one). This makes it sound, though, that Matthew is attempting to tailor the life of Jesus to fit different prophacies.

thank you very much for your help!

The Bible you are using sounds like the NAB, which unfortunately treats a lot of scholarly speculation as though it is indisputable fact. There are many scholars who disagree with these ideas, however. They are ideas that oughtn’t to be presented as factual, because some would reject that this is true. The simple answer to this sort of discrepency is simply that one Gospel writer was more specific than the other, citing that there was a second animal.

 

[NotWorthy]

I had heard that the *** was necessary to keep the colt mild-tempered. If a colt has never been ridden, it would be very skiddish. But if it’s mother was around, it would tend to be more calm when ridden for the first time. I’m not sure how accurate this statement is.

 

[lak611]

From the Haydock Commentary: “Ver. 7. Sit thereon. St. Jerome reprobates the opinion of those who suppose that Christ rode upon both the *** and the colt, though without sufficient reason. The Greek indeed, epano auton, upon them, may be referred either to the beasts or to Greek: ta imatia, the garments; but the very general sentiment is, that he first sat upon the *** for a short time, and then mounted the colt. It may be asked why Jesus, who through humility had during his whole life travelled on foot, and in no one previous instance is found to have allowed himself the convenience of riding, should on this occasion enter Jerusalem riding? One reason was, as mentioned in note on ver. 4, supra, to fulfil the prophecy of Zarcharias, who had given this mark of the Messias. Hence St. John (Chrysostom, hom. lxvi.) challenges the Jews to shew him any other king of theirs, who had entered Jerusalem riding on an ***. Other reasons were, to give a faint specimen of his real kingly dignity before he suffered; to be publicly acknowledged for the Messias; to confirm the faith of his disciples; and to leave his enemies no excuse for their incredulity. On this, as on all other occasions, magnificence is admirably blended with humility, in our Saviour’s actions. Even in this his triumph, we cannot help admiring his humility, in riding upon an ***. (Jansenius) — The glorious reception he met with from the people, was perfectly voluntary on their parts, the genuine effusions of their hearts, and as such, infinitely superior to the vain and often forced parade bestowed upon earthly princes; and is commemorated in the blessing and distributing palms in the Catholic Church, on Palm-Sunday, all over the Christian world.”